


Slow Dance

by flannery_culp



Category: Scream (TV)
Genre: Denial of Feelings, F/F, Going to Prom as Friends, Prom, Prom dates, Realization of Feelings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-11
Updated: 2017-05-17
Packaged: 2018-10-30 18:46:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 5,783
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10882767
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/flannery_culp/pseuds/flannery_culp
Summary: Emma has no interest in going to her senior prom, but when Emma asks if she wants to go together as friends, she agrees.  It will be nice, she thinks, to go with a friend. But is "friend" really what either of them wants to be?





	1. Chapter 1

"He's typing," Audrey said, grabbing onto Emma's arm as she watched the three little dots in the bubble.  "And... she said yes! Noah officially has a date to prom."

"Yes!" Emma said. "I'm so happy for him." After everything that had happened, they had all been pretty sure that he was never going to come back from it. He and Leah had only been together for a few months, but it seemed like things were going well for them. It felt like a sign that things were finally back to normal. And God knows, Noah deserved it.

"So," Audrey said. "That's one down and one to go."

"What do you mean?" Emma asked.

"Noah has a date," Audrey said. "Brooke obviously has a date, so she doesn't even count. All that leaves is you."

"Me?" Emma asked, almost choking on her coffee. "I'm good, thanks."

"No way," Audrey said. "I know how much you love playing dress-up. Besides, you missed junior prom. This is like, your only chance to go."

Emma stiffened at the mention of the time she had missed. She took another sip of her coffee, hoping that Audrey hadn't noticed.

"Sorry," Audrey said. Emma couldn't hide much from her anymore. "I didn't mean it like that, I just meant..."

"I know," Emma said, nodding. "I just don't want to deal with any of it, honestly. I've sworn off men, remember? I mean, maybe if Noah didn't have Leah, if I was just going with a friend. But I just don't want to get into a whole thing."

"We could go," Audrey said. "As friends."

Emma looked up, confused. "What about Gina?"

Now Audrey was the one avoiding her gaze. "Gina can't come."

"Is everything okay between you two?"

Emma tried not to question Audrey about Gina too much. She didn't love Gina, and she knew that Audrey could tell. She also knew that Gina didn't care for her, either. She had made that clear enough when they were on the island. But it always seemed like there was some problem between them; some sort of drama or heartbreak. Audrey had almost ended it once, and Emma had revealed how much she didn't like her. They got back together two days later. After that, Emma decided it was best to just avoid the subject as much as she could.

"Yeah," Audrey said. "It's all fine, she's just got like a family thing so she's going to be away for the weekend."

"I'm sorry," Emma said.

Audrey shrugged. "I was going to just go alone and hang out with everyone, but it would be cheaper if we went together. And then you wouldn't have to do some awkward date thing. It's like a win-win-win."

Emma looked at Audrey. "Are you sure Gina won't mind?"

"Of course not," Audrey said. "We're friends. She knows that."

"I still don't know," Emma said, biting her lip. It was a nice offer, but it wasn't like Emma had a great history with Lakewood High dances. There was homecoming first year, where she had had the most awkward slow dance known to mankind. And then sophomore year at spring fling, when she and Will had gotten in a fight and she had spent half the dance crying in the bathroom. And then last year. The Halloween dance.

"We'll do it together," Audrey said, taking Emma's hands. "It'll be good for both of us."

Emma looked down at their hands, at the way that Audrey's thumbs rubbed against her knuckles. If the two of them could take down a killer together, they could certainly handle a prom.

"Alright," Emma said. "Let's do it."


	2. Chapter 2

"Try this on," Brooke said, tossing another prom dress over Emma's arm.  She had so many at this point that she could barely hold them all. "Do you know what Audrey's wearing?"

"I have no idea," Emma said. "We talked about shopping together but then we decided that it would be more fun if we surprised each other."

"Surprised each other?" Brooke asked. She let out a quick laugh, turning her head towards another rack of dresses so that Emma couldn't see her.

"What's so funny about that?" Emma asked.

"Nothing," Brooke said. "It's just..." Her voice trailed off as she slid hangers along the rack.

"What?" Emma asked.

Brooke turned to her. "You and I are friends. You and I are here shopping together. You and I feel no need to surprise each other with what we're wearing to prom."

"Yeah, but you and I aren't going together," Emma said. "Audrey and I are. I mean, you're not going to let Stavo see your dress ahead of time, are you?"

"I'm not," Brooke said. "Which is exactly my point. Because Stavo is not my friend, is he?"

Emma felt her face turn red as she finally figured out what Brooke was implying. "Brooke, Audrey has a girlfriend. And besides, she's been over me for years."

"One of those things is definitely true," Brooke said.

"And even if she hadn't been it wouldn't matter," Emma continued, "because I'm not into Audrey."

"Alright," Brooke said.  "I'm not going to argue with you about it. Let's go try on those dresses."

* * *

 

"Well look at you, Miss Duvall," Brooke said, when Emma walked out wearing the second to last dress.  "I don't think you even need to try the other one on, we've found the one."

Emma smoothed her hands over the silky burgundy fabric, craning her neck to try and see what the back looked like in the mirror. "Do you really think so?"

"You know I wouldn't lie," Brooke said. "Well get some big curls in that hair and the right pair of heels and you'll look like a movie star."

Emma smiled. It wasn't often that she got to just feel like a normal teenage girl, but looking at herself in the mirror, she believed that that life was achievable.

She took a picture, wanting to remember the moment. She was tempted to send it to Audrey—it felt weird to only have Brooke's opinion before buying it—but decided against it. It would be worth the wait to see the look on Audrey's face.

 


	3. Chapter 3

Emma's phone buzzed, and she put down her curling iron so that she could see what it said.

 **Audrey:** Just picked your corsage. Wait till you see it. You're going to be amazed.

Emma smiled.

 **Emma:** I don't know, I've seen some pretty nice flowers in my day...

 **Audrey:** Not this nice. I think I have found my true calling. People should honestly be paying me to do this.

 **Emma:** Well now you're making me feel like yours isn't going to be good enough.

 **Audrey:** Oh no! Don't say that. I'm sure that it's awesome.

 **Audrey:** See you in a little while!

Emma put down her phone and went back to her hair. Audrey had been texting her about prom all day, but if there was any hope of Emma being ready in time, she had to stop looking at her phone.

It was going to be a good night. Everyone was meeting at Emma's for pictures, then sharing a limo to the prom. The dance was at a fancy hotel, and Brooke was having an even fancier after-party. She still didn't quite feel the hype that so many other people seemed to feel around prom—she sincerely hoped that at some point in her life she would have a better night that this—but it certainly had the potential to be the best night in awhile.

* * *

"Emma, Audrey's here!" her mother called from downstairs.

"I'll be right down!" Emma called. She took one last look in the mirror, making sure that she hadn't accidentally smudged her makeup. She smiled at her reflection, trying to calm the nervous feeling in her stomach. She took a deep breath and started downstairs.

"Here she comes," her mother said. She walked carefully down the stairs, looking down at the steps because she was terrified of tripping on the long skirt. She didn't look up until she got to the bottom of the staircase.

Audrey was wearing a tux, perfectly tailored in black satin with fitted pants and a burgundy colored tie.

"You're kidding," Emma said, untucking the tie from the jacket so that she could hold it up against her dress and compare. "It's almost identical. And Brooke said we wouldn't match if we surprised each other."

"It was meant to be," Audrey said, smiling. She held Emma out at arm's length. "You look... incredible."

"You do too," Emma said. It wasn't just the outfit, there was something else going on. She looked happy, Emma realized. Happier than she had seemed in awhile. "So where's this corsage that's the best corsage in the entire world?"

"Right here," Audrey said, grabbing a box from the side table.

"Oh mom, can you grab the one I got for Audrey?"

"Of course, honey," her mother said, going to the kitchen.

Emma looked at the box that Audrey had in her hand. It was simple, something that you could wear on your wrist without it getting in the way of anything. But it was a beautiful little bundle of leaves and flowers, with baby's breath and red gladiolus and, right in the middle, a daffodil.

"Just like the ones that grew outside the barn," Emma said, quietly.

Audrey smiled. "I thought you would like it," she said. "Here let me put it on you."

Emma stretched out her hand, and let Audrey tie it on. She was grateful that Audrey was looking at her wrist instead of her face, feeling her eyes start to well. She couldn't let herself cry, not with how long she had spent on her makeup. Why was she even crying? It must have been the history, she told herself. Everything that had happened at the barn.

"Perfect," Audrey said, once it was secured on Emma's wrist.

"Mine's going to seem really pathetic now," she said, trying to laugh the tears away as her mother came back in.

"Hey, don't give yourself a hard time," Audrey said. "We can't all be the corsage masters that I am. Yours is like, second best in the entire world."

"I guess I can live with that," Emma said. She took the corsage out of the box, and tried to pin Audrey's to her lapel.

"You have to put it outside of the buttonhole," Audrey said. "It never sits right if you try and put it through the buttonhole." She placed her hands on top of Emma's, guiding the pin in Emma's fingers through the lapel of her jacket.

"Thanks," Emma said, hoping that Audrey hadn't felt how sweaty her hands were. Why were her hands sweaty? It was hot in here, now that she thought about it.

"Okay you two, get together," Emma's mother said, holding up a camera. Emma rolled her eyes. "Come on, no complaining. I think it's so sweet that you two are going together, this is going to look so cute next to the pictures of you two when you were little."

Emma and Audrey stood together, their arms brushing. Her mother snapped a few pictures, then put the camera down, content. "At least until the rest of your friends get here," she said.

"Oh, wait, can you take one on my phone?" Audrey asked.

"Yeah of course."

"Prom pose," Audrey said. "We have to do it."

Emma laughed. "Okay, okay," she said. "You're right, it would be a shame not to."

Audrey stood behind her, with her arms around Emma's waist and her chin just above Emma's shoulder. "This is hard with you in those heels," she said. Emma laughed, just as her mother took the picture.

"Perfect," her mother said, handing Audrey the phone back.

"A selfie, too," Audrey said. "For good measure." She put a hand over Emma's shoulder, and took a picture before Emma had a chance to think about it.

"Oh my god, you can't keep that," Emma said.

"No!" Audrey said. "You look so cute!"

"I do not, I look terrible."

"Fine, fine, we'll take another one."

"Okay, but I get to take it this time."

Emma tried to take the phone out of Audrey's hands, but Audrey held on, Emma's fingers trying to cling to the spaces in between Audrey's. "We'll take it together," Audrey said. "One, two—"

And then the doorbell rang, and the other four were there, posing for pictures and admiring each other's clothing.

"I heard you thought it was a bad idea for us to surprise each other," Audrey told Brooke, indicating her tie.

Brooke looked at Audrey, and then at Emma, then back at Audrey. She shrugged. "I guess I was wrong," she said. "I've been wrong about some things." She looked at Emma, pointedly. " _Some_ things. Not all things."

Emma shot a look at Brooke, begging her not to say anything else. Before she could, she got a notification on her phone. "Limo's here!" she called. Emma breathed a sigh of relief. "Let's head out."


	4. Chapter 4

When the group arrived at the dance, everything was already in full swing. The music was loud, the lights were bright, and the crowd was wild.

"Let's go," Brooke said, pulling on Emma's wrist. She had already had a few swigs from her flask, and it was showing.

"What about me?" Stavo asked.

"You can come," Brooke said with a wink. "But I'll get to you later. First I want to dance with my girls."

"If I'm doing this, so are you," Emma said, tugging on Audrey's arm. Brooke pulled them into the middle of the dance floor. She loved this sort of thing: knowing that everyone was watching her but pretending she didn't notice, throwing caution to the wind but never letting a hair fall out of place. It was carefully orchestrated in a way that seemed completely organic, and if you had tried to figure out the planning that had gone into it, you wouldn't have been able to.

For Emma and Audrey, it was different. Audrey clutched onto Emma's shoulder and laughed.

"I think this would be easier if I was on Brooke's level," Emma said into Audrey's ear, practically shouting in order for her to hear it.

"Lucky for you, Brooke's not the only one with a flask," Audrey responded.

"Ooh," Emma said, her eyes getting wide. "Audrey Jensen is living dangerously."

"Want me to spike some punch?"

"Yes, please."

"I'll go grab the drinks, you find a table, and I'll meet you there."

Emma tried to tell Brooke where she was going, but Brooke was already off in her own world. She walked over to the dining area, and found Noah sitting at a table.

"Hey," Emma said, sitting down next to him. "Where'd Leah go?"

"She offered to go get us punch," Noah said. He looked like he was about to die.

"Is everything okay?" Emma asked.

"Oh, yeah, it's going great," Noah said. "Just, you know, pretty sure I'm going to fuck up all of this tonight."

"Hey," Emma said, rubbing his shoulder. "You have nothing to worry about."

"Do  _I_ have something to worry about?" Audrey asked as she sat down, placing two glasses in front of them. "You trying to steal my date, Foster?"

"No, not at all," Noah said, lifting his hands. "Emma's just reassuring me that I can keep mine. Which is doubtful."

"You just have to relax, dude," Audrey said. She looked around to make sure that no chaperones were watching, carefully pulled a flask out of the inside pocket of her jacket, and topped off each of the drinks.

"You don't get to talk," Noah said. He turned to Emma. "She may have this calm and collected exterior, but you should have seen her freaking out earlier."

"Ooh," Emma said, wiggling her shoulders. "Were you getting all weak-kneed thinking about me?"

"Oh please," Audrey said. "Foster just doesn't know what it's like to be excited about something without also freaking out about it."

Emma took a sip of her drink, letting the warmth of the liquor relax her.

Leah walked up to the table and put two glasses down in front of her and Noah. "Did I miss anything good?" she asked.

"Not a thing," Audrey said. She offered Leah her flask, and Leah gladly accepted.

"Good," Leah said. "So, you guys aren't out there with Brooke?"

"I think I'm going to wait for the buzz to hit," Emma said.

"Fair enough," Leah said.

"I, for one, cannot wait until you're out there," Audrey said. "Are you going to pull some of those classic Duvall moves?"

"Oh, God," Emma said. "I cannot believe that you just brought that up."

"You guys should have seen Emma when we were in middle school," Audrey said. "She took a hip-hop class for one year—which she thought she could convince me to take with her, by the way—and was convinced that she was like, this super cool dancer who knew all the best moves."

"That is  _not_ a fair take on what happened," Emma said. "I took that class and quickly realized that hip-hop was not a good idea for me."

"I went to your dance recital," Audrey said. "That was clearly not how you felt."

"You were just jealous because you realized you would have rather been onstage than in the audience, and you missed your opportunity."

"Have you two really known each other for that long?" Leah asked.

"Oh yeah," Audrey said. "Since we were little kids."

"We took horseback riding lessons together," Emma said.

"That's so cute," Leah said. "You guys are a cute couple."

Emma and Audrey looked at each other, blushing. Noah looked like he couldn't even think, let alone correct Leah. "Oh, we're not..." Emma started.

"We're not dating," Audrey said. "We're just friends."

"Oh my God, I'm so sorry," Leah said. "I knew you had a girlfriend so I just assumed—"

"I do," Audrey said. "She's just... out of town. I had already bought the tickets so Emma offered to come with me and keep me company."

Emma looked at Audrey. It wasn't exactly what had happened, but the expression on Audrey's face was pretty clearly telling her not to argue with it. Why bother lying? It wasn't like they had anything to hide.

"That's what friends are for," Emma said, smiling before downing the rest of her punch.

"I didn't make things weird, did I?" Leah asked. "I really hope I didn't make things weird."

"Not at all," Audrey said. "Considering all that we've been through, I don't think anything between us could get weirder, right Em?"

"Once you've taken down a killer together everything else tends to feel pretty mundane," Emma said with a laugh. But she couldn't stop thinking about what Audrey had said. She looked into her empty cup. "I'm going to go see how Brooke is doing."

Before anyone could stop her, she was on her way to the dance floor.


	5. Chapter 5

"Brooke," Audrey said, tugging on Brooke's arm. "I need you to come with me. Right now."

"But I'm  _dancing_ ," Brooke said.

"It's an emergency."

"Alright," she said. She leaned back towards Stavo and gave him a kiss. "I'll be right back."

Emma dragged Brooke into the bathroom, where she checked for feet under the stalls before she said anything. "Something weird just happened."

"Weird?" Brooke asked, a panic entering her eyes that Emma hadn't seen in awhile. "What kind of weird."

"Not that kind," Emma said. "Nothing like that."

Brooke relaxed. "Okay, good," she said. "So what is it?"

"It's Audrey," Emma said. "Leah was confused and thought that I was Audrey's girlfriend—"

"Wait, what?" Brooke asked.

"Just let me finish," Emma said. "So we were explaining that we weren't dating, and Audrey does have a girlfriend but not me, and then Audrey said that I offered to go with her when Gina couldn't. But that's not what happened. Audrey invited  _me._ "

"Okay..." Brooke said. "I'm not understanding why this is a thing."

"She lied," Emma said. "Like there was something to hide."

"Well was there?" Brooke asked.

"Of course not," Emma said, defensively. "Audrey and I are friends. We came as friends."

Brooke walked over to the mirror so that she could adjust her lipstick. "Just because you came here as friends doesn't mean you have to leave here as friends."

"Brooke," Emma said. "Audrey isn't into me, she has a girlfriend. We've been over all of this."

Brooke turned to face Emma. "I'm not talking about Audrey," she said, folding her arms across her chest. "I'm talking about you."

"Excuse me?" Emma asked.

"I see the way that you look at her," Brooke said. "Things have been different between you two ever since everything with Keiran. I mean, I know there was a lot going on, but all of that kind of eclipsed the fact that she told you she had been in love with you. And you guys act like that wasn't a big deal, and then at the same time you're holding hands and doing all this couple shit, to the point that Gina was jealous of you and Leah thought you were an actual couple. Have you ever talked about it with her? Like, actually talked about it?"

Emma swallowed. "Once," she said. "Almost."

"Almost?" Brooke asked.

It had been one of those nights where the rest of the group had trickled out, leaving Emma and Audrey alone. Brooke had also left an expensive bottle of bourbon, which they had kept drinking long after everyone else. Bourbon was Audrey's drink, not Emma's, but Audrey always thought it was funny when Emma tried to drink it straight, so Emma kept doing it.  
  
It was after Audrey had met Gina, but before they were together. "I just don't know about dating someone," she had said. "Do you think you're going to date someone again?"  
  
"Not a man," Emma had said, realizing that she was drunker than she had intended to be. "I'm swearing off men for good. No more men for Emma Duval, not after that."  
  
Audrey had hesitated, her mouth open just slightly, and Emma had realized that Audrey was probably not as drunk as she was. "Are you...?" she asked. "I mean I know we're both drunk so I don't want to... but...?"  
  
Emma hadn't answered. She had just looked at her, and Audrey nodded in silent understanding. There had been a moment between them, one where the air was heavy and the floor felt like it could give at any moment and Emma wasn't sure if she was really thinking the thoughts in her head or if somehow, somebody else was. It was the bourbon, she told herself. Neither of them had even said anything, they were just sitting there.

"So when I was..." Audrey's voice trailed off. She didn't have to finish the sentence.

Emma shrugged. "I don't know," she said. She brushed a hand through her hair, pulling it up into a ponytail before realizing she didn't have an elastic, and letting it fall back down around her. "I mean I didn't know... you know?"

Audrey nodded. "So then that leaves us..."

Suddenly, Audrey was closer than Emma had realized she was. It almost seemed as if she was leaning towards her, as if... And then Emma was incredibly aware of her heartbeat, too fast, and so loud that she could hear it. Could Audrey? Was this really happening? Was this what she wanted?

And in that moment, she was filled with the realization that it was. After everything they had been through together, maybe some good could come out of it. Maybe they could find peace in each other.

And then Audrey reached across Emma to grab the bourbon bottle. She took a swig and set it back down on the ground. Emma excused herself and went upstairs, trying to sort out everything that had just happened. When she came back down, Audrey was asleep on the couch. The next morning they acted as if the conversation had never happened. Audrey started dating Gina. Emma put it out of her mind. They were friends, and a friend was an important thing to have.

Brooke placed a hand on Emma's arm. "Am I right?"

Emma nodded, admitting to herself for the first time since that night. It finally all made sense: the jumpy feeling in her stomach when Audrey had asked her, and the hurt that she felt when Audrey had lied to Leah. The nerves when the doorbell rang and the tears when Audrey showed her the corsage. And Noah's comment about Audrey freaking out while getting ready. Was she going through the same thing? Could Emma bear to let herself hope that she was?

"You're right," Emma said. "Of course, you're right."

 

 


	6. Chapter 6

"Hey, everything okay?" Audrey asked when Emma got back to the table.

"Yeah," Emma said, knowing that her face was completely giving her away. "Just needed some air."

"Alright," Audrey said, although she didn't look like she was buying it.

"Let's go dance," Brooke said, pulling them out onto the dance floor. Emma gladly accepted, hoping that if she kept her body busy she could keep her mind busy too.

But as soon as they got there, the music changed. An old song started playing, the kind that you couldn't name if you were asked to, and yet somehow could sing by heart. A classic prom song.

A  _slow_ song.

Emma's heart started racing. "Care to dance?" Audrey asked, reaching out a hand. Not knowing what else to do, Emma took it. She knew instantly that this was a bad idea if she was going to pretend like there was nothing going on. But she wanted this. It wasn't something she had been thrown into, like on the island. It was something that had been building up since Audrey had told her the truth about her feelings. Maybe even before that. She knew that it was too late to do anything about it, but she could let herself have one dance, couldn't she?

She could feel Brooke watching her—she could feel  _everyone_ watching her—as she put her hands on Audrey's shoulders, letting Audrey lead. She was too aware of where Audrey's hands were, every finger creating a distinct imprint right above her hip. Her body was too close, the distance between them not nearly enough for a dance between friends. Emma looked out past Audrey, trying to find something to focus on besides her face.

"Are you sure everything's okay?" Audrey asked. "I know I kind of dragged you into this, but if the dance is too much for you, we can always head out."

"No, it's fine," Emma said. She stole a glance at Audrey's face, her eyebrows furrowed in concern, her lips parted, just slightly. "I'm good, really."

"Good," Audrey said, smiling. "Because I'm really glad you came with me tonight, Em. I don't think it would have been the same without you."

Emma swallowed. "I'm glad too," she said, only half aware of the words coming out of her mouth.

"Can I tell you something?" Audrey asked. Emma nodded. "I honestly think I'm going to have a better time here with you than I would have with Gina."

Emma struggled to keep a poker face. "You don't mean that," she said.

"I do," Audrey said. "I mean, I know that you know that she isn't super big on this group of people. If she was here she would just be pulling me off into some corner somewhere trying to get me away from everyone. And if she and I had decided to surprise each other with what we were wearing, we definitely wouldn't match. She would have worn green or something. Made us look like a shitty Christmas card."

Audrey wasn't wrong. Emma knew that if Gina had been here tonight, Audrey wouldn't have been anywhere near her. And she was probably right about the dress thing, too. If it didn't involve a classic horror movie, Audrey and Gina were rarely on the same page about anything. "I guess we just have a history," she said.

"We do," Audrey said. Her thumb made a little circle on the small of Emma's back. "We just kind of get each other. It's nice, not to be guessing all the time. You just get it."

It would be nice, not to be guessing. Their faces were so close. Emma could kiss her, if she wanted to. Then she wouldn't have to guess anymore.

And then she remembered that Gina was not some sort of character they made up, but a real person. A person that Audrey wanted to be with. Maybe not in this exact moment, but in some way, at some point. A person that Audrey had chosen over her.

And that was the moment that she realized that she couldn't do this anymore. "I can't," she said, lifting her hands from Audrey's shoulders. "I'm sorry, I just... I can't do this."

She ran out of the ballroom into the hotel lobby, her feet unsteady in her heels. But she could hear Audrey behind her, so she kept running, out the door and around the building until the only footsteps she could hear were her own. She sat on the ground, knowing that she was putting her dress in jeapordy. She didn't care. She leaned back against the wall, and looked through the gate at the outdoor pool. The water moved back and forth, as if someone had just gotten in, but there was no one else in sight.

She was alone, she realized. Emma Duvall would always be alone.


	7. Chapter 7

Emma wasn't sure how long she sat there looking at the water—maybe a minute, maybe ten—but it wasn't long before someone came and sat down next to her.

"I had a feeling that you weren't actually alright," Audrey said.

"And I had a feeling that I wasn't fooling you." Emma kept her eyes straight ahead, knowing that if she looked at Audrey she would break.

"Well, saying 'I can't do this' and then running out of the room was a pretty clear indication."

"I can't believe that I did that," Emma said.

"Hey, at least it's not the worst thing you've done in front of the entire school," Audrey said.

"You're right," Emma said. "I think that probably goes to the time that I broke a window to get out of Ms. Lang's office. But I'm really glad you brought that up, it makes me feel a lot better."

"Hey, we've all been there," Audrey said. "I mean, maybe not literally, but this school has seen me in some pretty rough situations."

"I guess that's true," Emma said.

"You're not alone, Em," Audrey said. She reached for Emma's hand, and Emma instinctively pulled away. "Do you want to talk about it?"

"I think you can tell that I don't want to talk about it," Emma said.

"Alright.  _Will_ you talk about it?"

But what was she supposed to say? Hey, Audrey, I know you have a girlfriend and you basically poured your heart out to me awhile back but I decided that now is the best time to tell you that I have feelings for you?

"I don't know," Emma finally said.

"Did I do something?" Audrey asked. "I mean, you seemed so excited about tonight, and then when we were at your house you seemed really happy, and then something just changed. And I keep going over everything I said and did in my head and I just can't figure it out. And if I fucked up, I really want to fix it."

"You didn't fuck up," Emma said. She turned to Audrey, hoping that seeing her would give her some idea of what might be the right thing to say. But it didn't help, because there was no right thing. If she was going to say something, she would just have to go ahead and do it. "Do you remember that night?" she finally asked.

"In the orphanage?"

Emma shook her head. "Your party awhile back. When everyone else had left and we were talking about... I said that I never wanted to date a man again. And then we kind of... had a moment."

Audrey sighed. "I didn't want to assume that liking girls meant liking me," she said.

"Was it really something you had to assume?" Emma asked. Now that she had figured it out, she could see how obvious it had been all along. The hand-holding, the jokes, the phone calls at all hours of the night... Audrey must have noticed it.

"Assume isn't the right word," Audrey said. "It was more like... I didn't want to be wrong about it. I didn't want to get my hopes up and then have them be crushed again. I didn't want to lose you again, Em."

This time Emma was the one to take Audrey's hand. It was heavy in hers, Audrey's fingers instinctively curling around her own and squeezing them tight. "You're not going to lose me, Audrey," she said. "You don't ever have to worry about that. I promise."

And then Audrey was leaning towards her, just like that night, only this time she really did kiss her. She was hesitant at first, her lips just brushing against Emma's, but then Emma placed a hand on the back of Audrey's neck, and Audrey put a hand on Emma's thigh, and whatever hesitation had been there was gone.

And then Emma remembered.

"Gina," she said. "Oh, my God, Gina. What are we doing?"

Audrey bit her lip. "I kind of broke up with Gina."

" _What_?" Emma asked. "When?"

"Last night," Audrey said. "I didn't say anything because I didn't want anyone to make a big deal out of it. We were talking on the phone and she was acting all weird and we got in this big fight and I just realized... I was looking forward to doing this with you more than I was looking forward to seeing her again. And then it all just clicked. That's how it's always been, every single time I was trying to negotiate plans with the two of you. And I don't know what I was thinking was going to happen tonight, certainly not this, but this is so much better than anything that I was expecting."

"Really?" Emma asked. "I didn't ruin the whole night by getting weird?"

"Not at all," Audrey said. "Except, you know, you do owe me a slow dance."

Emma smiled. "I think I can manage that."

 


End file.
